Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Serena and the Potbangers

One of the best posts of the case came last November, as Liestoppersexplained how the seemingly “spontaneous” protests that emerged in Durham last March were anything but. Instead, a group of professional protesters merged with Trinity Park residents who didn’t like Duke students to create the potbangers—the extremist anti-lacrosse activists who dominated the media for several days last spring, as they carried banners reading “Castrate” and signs demanding “Time to Confess.”

Duke graduate student Serena Sebring, who helped organize many of these protests, recently denied that she should be termed a “potbanger”—because a scheduling commitment prevented her from attending the pots-and-pans March 26, 2006 rally. Sebring did attend the March 25, 2006 “candelight vigil” (where protesters sang songs of solidarity with Crystal Mangum just a few hours before Mangum was videotaped performing on a pole—in a most limber fashion—at the Platinum Pleasures Club), as well as several other Mangum-solidarity events last March and April. Sebring appears unaware that the term “potbangers” has come to describe not just those who participated in the March 26, 2006 “castrate” rally, but figures who frequented the extremist anti-lacrosse protests of last March and early April in general.

In this regard, Sebring’s record was second to none: indeed, for a 10-day period in late March and early April 2006, she was a ubiquitous media presence. At the potbangers’ March 27 protest, she urged Duke students and professors to confront the lacrosse players in the classroom: “If you see them in class, ask them who did this.” On March 30, she wrote that “‘innocent until proven guilty’ does not mean that there was no crime. There is ample evidence of assault, even if we don’t yet have charges against specific perpetrators.” She added that she found “DA Mike Nifong and police Cpl. Addison pretty credible,” and dismissed “rumors that some members of the team cooperated early on.”

The next night, Sebring joined Nancy Grace, who termed her “Ms. Serena” and introduced her as a figure who had “organized campus protests.” Sebring asserted that she had uncovered “clear evidence of some sort of an assault having happened. And as a woman on Duke campus, I feel that my safety is not a priority.” (She has never revealed what this “clear evidence” was.) Asked by Grace “why are these people banging pots and pans,” Sebring seemed eager to suggest that she had attended the “castrate” rally: “I think we’re [emphasis added] all just trying to make noise as loudly as possible” with a goal of demanding “more accountability from the administration for the sexual and racial nature of this crime.”

In early April 2006, Sebring mused to the Charlotte Observer, “Now many people wonder: ‘Do Duke students need to be protected from Durham, or does Durham need to be protected from Duke?’” (I doubt many people are any longer asking that question.) And on April 10, when defense attorneys disclosed that the DNA tests that Mike Nifong had promised would exonerate the innocent revealed no matches to lacrosse players, Sebring was nonplussed: “I am inclined,” she wrote, “to believe the victim,” especially since the lacrosse team consisted of “46 misogynist racists” who committed “racial verbal assault.”

How, Sebring wondered, could anyone think that Crystal Mangum would “inflict wounds on herself to frame up these players”? (In fact, as Kim Roberts later revealed, Mangum asked her to do just that.) Anyhow, Sebring reminded her fellow ideologues, “The medical staff at the hospital examined the victim and used their expertise to determine that she showed symptoms consistent with rape.” She wildly charged that “defense attorneys have argued [that] there were others at the party who raped this woman.”

Sebring kept the faith two days later, when she joined Group of 88 members Wahneema Lubiano and Thavolia Glymph at an anti-lacrosse player forum. The highlight of the affair: a presenter lamenting about how “since the [negative] DNA results were returned Monday, we [have been] moving backwards.”

Sebring returned to the issue in February, co-signing a letter expressing her “frustrations with the prevailing campus mindset,” which refused to confront how “a myriad of social forces, historical legacies and enduring inequalities—only some of which were implicated in the ‘Lacrosse Party’—helped make the ground ripe for a ‘social disaster.’” It is, she and her co-signatories wrote, “a human disaster when members of our community are made to feel uncomfortable on campus.” It does not appear she was referring to the lacrosse players’ experience last spring. And her earlier, repeated statements of certainty that a rape occurred? Sebring no longer mentioned such items.

This 13-month record perhaps explains why Sebring now maintains that she is “surely not as important in this whole thing as [the blog has] painted me to be.”

Sebring was back in the news last week, when she joined Durham’s Orwellian “National Day of Truthtelling.” In my Sunday post, I incorrectly described Sebring as a co-founder of the group that organized the event, UBUNTU; I apologize for the error. Sebring corrected me: “No one is [a co-founder]. There is no such role within the group.” UBUNTU, it appears, emerged organically, “in the aftermath of the March 13, 2006 rape of a Durham, NC Black woman by members of the Duke University Lacrosse team.” The group seeks to expose how “the daily violence of racism/white supremacy, sexism/transphobia/patriarchy, classism/capitalism, and homophobia/heterosexism are the intersecting sources of sexual violence.”

Sebring also took me to task for suggesting that the “National Day of Truthtelling” had anything to do with the lacrosse case. How, indeed, could anyone have such an impression? After all, UBUNTU’s first stated goal is “to facilitate a broad, community-driven demand for justice for the Survivor of the March 13, 2006 rape.”

Other groups that co-sponsored the “Truthtelling” rally likewise cling to the certainty that a rape occurred. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosts an essay (for which Sebring served as an editor) describing “the story of the assault perpetrated by members of the Duke lacrosse team on a young Black woman . . . another brutal incident in the epidemic of sexual and racial violence plaguing this country.” The author of that essay, Bryan Proffitt, is among the directors of Men Against Rape Culture, another “Truthtelling” co-sponsor. As several commenters at the Liestoppers forum noted, other event co-sponsors expressed similar evidence-denying attitudes about the case.

While the rally featured no pots and pans, nor any candelight vigils with hosannas to Crystal Mangum, it did produce the video noted in Sunday’s post.

Some—although, she says, not Sebring—might find it Orwellian that a “National Day of Truthtelling” was organized by a coalition of groups that continue to deny the truth about the lacrosse case. But in the Wonderland that is Durham, we should expect nothing less.

I'd laugh off Sebring (and Sam Hummel and Bryan Proffitt and Manjoo) as a silly little group of hateful country bumpkin hick radicals and blame it on the water in Durham, but so viciously nasty are they that......the lawsuits are meritted here.

KC, I can't believe your reposting the Day of Truthtelling video after Sebrina commented "And while I think it's unfortunate that you are using your blog to mock rape survivors who are using poetry and dance as methods of healing, and encouraging your followers to do the same (by providing a link to the video so they can pile on the laugh-at-the-poetry-and-silly-dancing bandwagon)".

Actually i'm more concerned that your readers get variety and would recommend the UBUNTU art night video.

Anon 12:42 : That IS hilarious. Why would they stop at that Buchanan address if it had nothing to do with the lacrosse case? Why stop at the one place in Durham we know a rape did NOT happen? What a bunch of 'tards.

“Sebring also took me to task for suggesting that the “National Day of Truthtelling” had anything to do with the lacrosse case.”

From:http://iambecauseweare.wordpress.com/(UBUNTU Website)

One of the main highlights of the more than two-mile march was a stop in front of 610 Buchanan St. This house, located on the campus of Duke University, was the place where a young Black single mother, college student and exotic dancer reported to authorities that she was sexually assaulted by three white Duke lacrosse players at a fraternity party back in March 2006. The district attorney recently dropped the charges against the players before a trial could allow her to give her account of what happened.

Are you just mailing it in now? The first two paragraphs are very disjointed and give no explanation or background on "Sebring."

The people who have followed all the bizarre twists and turns of this case will know the name "Serena Sebring" but the average reader will have no idea of who is abruptly referenced in the second paragraph as only "Sebring."

Furthermore on the Ubuntu site, the primary navigation link titled "Not Even a Little Funny" is all about the lacrosse, and I believe it refers to the McFayden email (I can't exactly tell -- analogies aren't a strong suit of theirs)

KC - Thanks for the post. This woman is so overly-identified with her ideology that there seems to be little left in her consciousness to observe reality. This is dangerous to us all since our politicians tend to listen to folks spewing this victimology message. What a mess.

Near the beginning of this post, KC Johnson links to a D-i-W comment penned by Serena Sebring ("Sebring recently denied that she should be termed a 'potbanger'"). However, most browsers will not correctly locate the referenced Blogspot comment, taking the reader to the top of the post instead.

To read Sebring's critique of Johnson's latest Sunday Roundup account of UBUNTU and the Indigestion Video, scroll down to her comment of May 7, 2007 2:55:00 AM

K C ---Great post. From one Harvard man to another,however, your use of "nonplussed" is incorrect, if you meant that Serena was cool-headed or not put off.The noun means "a state of perplexity".She was in error ,but not in doubt. Bill Walsh erroneously used the same word to describe Joe Montana after one of the latter's greatest games. Montana,as Serena, was very much "plussed" instead! Best---

Observing the behavior of these intellectually deficient career activists (thanks KC) is a lot like watching a neighbor stagger out of her ratty house each morning and dump her garbage on my lawn. You know which house. It's the one with peeling paint, leaky roof and backed-up sewer.

If we, as a community, refuse to engage in critical self-examination-if we work to silence the uncomfortable questions and if we force all debate into a "with us or against us" mentality-we help propagate "human disasters" from this social disaster.

I am just constantly amazed at how delusional these people are. And how downright stupid to boot! Maybe they really believe what they're saying, but I don't think so. They are manipulative, sly, and pathological liars; it's no wonder they are admired by the college crowd.

Serena, bless your heart, the people who gave you your degree(s) are patronizing you and your "scholarship". It's their inexpensive way of maintaining some control over a loose cannon. It costs them nothing more than it would to award an honorary degree to Larry or Curly.

In a comment on this thread at 9:13am, I suggested that Ms. Sebring was photographed holding the CASTRATE banner during the March 26th, 2006 demonstration.

That assertion is false.

I apologize for making the poorly-founded charge.

Because it is wrong, I've deleted that 9:13am comment. It is reproduced below, for the record.

AMac said...

Ms. Sebring, I hope this is not a snapshot of you holding that renowned CASTRATE banner.

Because if it is, we may have to declare that the Hypocrisy Competition is over. And there are so many superb contestants!

anon 9:52am --

SANE nurse "Mrs. DK" told me that her critique of Prof. Johnson's Levicy posts will not be ready this week. I will likely be unable to post next week, so there may be a two-week delay. Considering what we are all paid to comment or post, there's no obligation for timeliness. I, too, am eager to read her point of view.

"Other groups that co-sponsored the “Truthtelling” rally likewise cling to the certainty that a rape occurred. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosts an essay (for which Sebring served as an editor) describing “the story of the assault perpetrated by members of the Duke lacrosse team on a young Black woman . . . another brutal incident in the epidemic of sexual and racial violence plaguing this country.”

Sebring and her commrads are merely minions for the hate and destroy america socialist movement. They need individual liberty and civil rights to be supressed to groupthink. It doesn't matter to them what "-ism" excites the ignorant. Racism, sexism, or "transphobia" will suffice as long as it meets their goal of engendering hatred, unrest, redistribution of wealth, moral decay, and disolution of the family.

I assume that "transphobia" is the fear of those having had a sex change. I suppose it could easily be the fear of automatic transmissions, but who knows?

duke 85, you obviously aren't thinking. "Transphobia" is clearly the fear of manual transmissions, which give too much power to the individual to decide which gear to use, rather than the collective wisdom of the Master (car company).

One problem in democracy is that there will always be around 50% of the population who see themselves as below average. There is a whole discussion area here about perceptions, belief in the ability to raise oneself up, responsibility, etc. Unfortunately, there is a high correlation between being in this segment and being easily fooled.

However, the primary point is that, to this portion of the population, socialism has a strong attraction. The idea that others are to blame and will provide for needs and wants has an allure. It has been repeatedly shown that socialism does not work and is very destructive. "A falling tide beaches all boats." This lesson has not been learned.

We have policies that actively encourage disproportionate growth in this portion of the population and the further entrenchment of this mindset. We have no substantive civic discourse on these very deep issues and a press that is very much a large part of the problem. Further, there are many who seek to exploit the situation for personal gain -- political power, financial rewards, or even status – it is cool to be against “the man”.

This culture produces what we have seen here -- but the larger damage is harder to see, though much more pervasive. There is the real potential here to eventually lead to the collapse of our society, as we lose the ability to produce and have to compete globally. Instead, we could see increased infighting and further erosion of the independence, work ethic, initiative, basic kindness, and inventiveness that have been the foundation of the success of our society. The problem will become harder to solve as time goes on.

There are thousands upon thousands of real victims and injustices in this world that these activists could be adressing, and instead they're marching around a decidedly liberal top-ten university protesting an imaginary culture of racist violence on campus.

Screaming at the LAX house might make them feel good, but it accomplishes a hell of a lot less than volunteering at a soup kitchen, battered woman's shelter or orphanache. If their goal is really to raise awareness about rape, why hold a rally on a college campus (the most "aware" place in the world). Hold the rally in some crime ravaged neighborhood, where tons of domestic violence victims really need support - and why not pick up some litter trash by the road while you're at it?

And god forbid these protestors make the ultimate sacrifice and get real jobs that will allow them to donate money to organizations working to feed and immunize starving children.

Then again, why work to fight real problems when you can protest against fraternity culture instead (i.e. 19 year old boys drinking too much beer and trying to hook up with the soroity girls who come to their parties to drink beer and hook up)? Who can be bothered to give reading lessons to illiterate durham adults when there's rampant transphobia(fear of transvestites?) right on campus!!

Those UBUNTU chicks and their fellow-travelers are insane, and Sebring appears to be one of the worst. Those people are, as K.C. puts it, truly Orwellian. Up is down, day is night, and lies are the truth.

It absolutely blows my mind that Sebring is to be awarded a Ph.D. (note that I didn't say she would *earn* one) by an accredited school. What the heck are we supposed to think of Humanities at Duke? IMHO the only career Sebring's Ph.D. would qualify her for would be in a job where "would you like fries with your order?" is the key to advancement. And I doubt she'll make enough money in that career to pay-off the damages and legal fees headed her way like an out-of-control semi down a mountain road.

"to this portion of the population [those who see themselves as inferior], socialism has a strong attraction."

It also has a strong attraction to those who see themselves as superior; academics, "intellectuals", the New York Times, the island of Manhattan...I agree that while babies are being born with HIV it's sexier to worry about a "racial epithet" given in response to another "racial epithet." Random verbage is obviously more destructive than malaria, AIDS, bad water, terrorism, etc.

We obviously need to get federal funds to combat "transphobia". Who knows what that could lead to? Someone might SAY something to someone else which might make someone feel momentarily less powerful or, as in the video, afraid, afraid, afraid...

Sadly, Ms. Sebring has lost all credibility to speak out on behalf of rape victims by her association with the Ubuntu cult. How can Ubuntu, the group that “emerged organically, “in the aftermath of the March 13, 2006 rape of a Durham, NC Black woman by members of the Duke University Lacrosse team” be taken seriously?

Ubuntu was inspired by “fantastic lies” and, as such, can hardly be expected to stand for truth, even for a day.

Go easy on the island of Manhattan. We may be an island democrats, but we're an island of capitalists too. I strongly suspect that bankers and executives substantially outnumber socialists, if only due to the ever rising rent.

You're right. My Manhattan in-laws while mouthing every leftist agenda item that comes down the road would wrestle to the death over a nickle. I'm not quite sure who they want to pay for their social agenda but it certainly isn't them. The Wall Street cousins are very, very silent conservatives.

2:30I'll have to read up on the Finns and get back to you. I'll bet they have given up some freedoms Americans cherish to partake in programs like socialized medicine. I'll check on their tax rate and suicide rates too. However, I little about them so I speak out of turn.

Sebring's actions and arguments speak for themselves, discounting them based on her race and the perceived benefits she's received from affirmative action is not only entirely unnecessary and uncalled for, but undermines the valid arguments against her. None of us know what her SAT/GRE scores where, what her grades where or what her recomendations were like. But I do know that you don't have to be stupid to be a dumbass; there are a lot more socialists at Harvard than there are at the University of Alabama.

Please, can people stop the anti-affirmative action (or even anti-black or misogynistic) comments? Don’t you know that the last of the hoaxers trying to cover their tracks are scanning these comments, cherry-picking a few random, anonymous screeds so they can pretend that KC himself is a hateful person who doesn’t have to be listened to?

You’re threatening to undermine a lot of the calm, careful, measured, detailed, exhaustively fact-based work he’s done on this blog. Please, keep to the facts of the case or specific, supported points about other topics. There’s no need for insults or generalizations about race.

Oh, Stossel is just full of crap. A wrestler slapped him upside the head, and Stossel sued for millions of dollars, claiming permanent hearing loss, and settled for substantial big bucks. Then, when the winds changed, Stossel sniffed that he could make more money by chanting that we need tort reform because phonies [read: PEOPLE LIKE STOSSEL] were gaming the system. Which has nothing to do with people who are actually injured, unlike Stossel and his fellow frauds.

How about a one-way ticket to Darfur (or anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa) for Hummel, Sebring, and Ubuntu, so they can spend their lives witnessing and protesting real horrors against women of color, not imaginary ones?

I think 1 of the things Professor Johnson has been successful at is showing how what happened at Duke could have happened anywhere in the United States. All the issues that have been addressed exist outside Duke's walls.

A poster commented that blacks have a right to a slice of the American dream (something like that). I doubt that anyone on this board would gainsay that sentiment. But it does beg the question: Whose slice did Serena Sebring take to gain admission to Duke?

Sorry folks, it's a legitimate question, and it could also be pointed at all the worthless victim studies teachers and students.

There have been lots ofLevicy plants. I suspectthat they hope to get someoneto say something that theycan use, and to get KC towrite something (such aswhat Nifong might have beentold by Levicy) in order tosee how deep the water flows.

My posts on the subject havemainly been a warning to Levicy,with or without regard to herguilt or innocence:

You do seem to be picking up more trash today, and less dipassionate reasoning than is usually the case - thank you for saving us from the politicos, racial theorists, etc. (by removing posts) and helping keep the discussion focused on the case. You never know the source...

BTW, I just read the column in the Chronicle(to which you responded) where the author implied that your blog is fixated on the 88. Well, the racist, degrading harrassment of the LAXER's by Duke faculty and admonistration is a HUGE story and one of the most important eye-openers of the whole ordeal. They are a conspiracy of idiots, indeed.

Regarding the BBC website reference. I took a look. It is about as mushy, confusing, and poorly written as some of the stuff one now expects from certain Duke faculy. Sounds like the author had a "metanarrative."

... "why work to fight real problems when you can protest against fraternity culture instead (i.e. 19 year old boys drinking too much beer and trying to hook up with the soroity girls who come to their parties to drink beer and hook up)?"

I am adamantly against the "hook up" culture. It provides a ripe environment for RAPE! What the heck happened to a thing called "dating"?

The essense of this poster's comment is that "it's okay to get a soroity girl drunk and under the covers"! If she shows up at one of their "parties", stick her with a fork.... she's done.

That's a lie, if by "largest" you're referring to degree. White women have comparable scores to white men in LSAT scores, MCAT scores, etc. At Harvard, both black men and women have SAT scores 200+ points below the white and Asian (male and female) average.

White women are indeed given marginal preferences over men in various occupations, but the DEGREE of that preference is minimal.

Think of it this way: Who was given a HUGE leg up--Justice Ginsburg or Condoleezza Rice?

So I did a little checking to see if Ms. Sebring was the underqualified, affirmative action charity case she's assumed to be in this blog. Turns out... she was a rock star in her undergraduate work at the University of Colorado: awarded the Equity and Excellence Award her senior year (only award given by the Chancellor's office), a McNair Scholar, A Norlin Scholar, 3.8 GPA, accepted at 8 other graduate schools across the country, and awarded the one Duke Scholar fellowship of her doctoral cohort(given for academic merit, not need-based). If you can't discredit her without tossing RACIST, unfounded, pea-brained commentary maligning her academic prowess, you're in bad shape.

Sebring's video reminds meof a little story about two kids, one extremely positiveand one extremely negative.Both are so annoying in theirextremes that their parentsarrange for them to see a Psychiatrist.

The shrink arranges two rooms,one for each of the boys, thenmeets with them separately.

The morose boy gets put in aroom full of the best toys.Best, brightest, most funtoys ever, to play with.He tells the boy that he'll beback in 2 hours, and to havefun!

He takes the optimistic boyand puts him in a room, speciallyfilled with horse manure.The shrink tosses the boyinto the room with the poop,and in a rough voice tells himto deal with it for the nexttwo hours.

2 hours later, he comes back tothe room with the crybaby,the room with all the toys -and he finds the boy sittingin the middle of the room,bawling.

"Why, what's the matter, son? You're sitting in theroom with the best, must funtoys ever designed! Why areyou so sad?"

"I know, I know," the boy sobs, "but I know thatafter today, I'll never geta chance to play with themagain!"

The shrink shakes his headand goes to the other room.The boy is nowhere to be found!The door was locked, but...he calls out, and after a moment, the boy pops up, his head emerging from the manure,a big smile across his faceas a nugget falls off the sideof his head. He has a BIG grin.

The shrink says:

"Son, you are neck deep inhorse manure! Why in the worldare you so happy?"

"Well, mister, it's like this:I figured that with all thismanure, there's gotta be apony in here somewhere!"

Sebring is the crybaby.Someone say "Wah." Someone call a "wambulance."

Turns out... she was a rock star in her undergraduate work at the University of Colorado: awarded the Equity and Excellence Award her senior year (only award given by the Chancellor's office), a McNair Scholar, A Norlin Scholar, 3.8 GPA, accepted at 8 other graduate schools across the country, and awarded the one Duke Scholar fellowship of her doctoral cohort(given for academic merit, not need-based). If you can't discredit her without tossing RACIST, unfounded, pea-brained commentary maligning her academic prowess, you're in bad shape.

So, tell us, are all those awards give by women's studies departments so that otherwise pedestrian people can look like they are good, at least on paper?

Hello, Serena. It has to be you, because the data you've unearthed are a bit "specific."

I don't care what your GPA was at a 3d-tier school at which you probably took gut courses in AAAS and women's studies (did you study with Ward Churchill?).

Bottom line, Serena, is that you are a terrible writer, which tells us a lot about you and your cognitive preparedness for an elite school like Duke. As to other schools "wanting" your services--Karla Holloway could probably secure a job teaching at Princeton.

Googled Serena Sebring. No info on her GPA, but her major at Colorado was (uh huh) so-ci-ol-o-gy, probably with women's studies and AAAS barking up the rear. A McNair Scholar, the best I can tell, is a euphemism for diversity.

Why anyone would major in sociology--as an undergraduate--is a mystery to me. When I attended Brown I saw a lot of jocks and academic floaters enrolling in soc courses (not that there's anything wrong with that--LOL).

Yeah, 7:53 is the old rabblerouser Serena Sebring her own self.No one would care or know about those specifics except her. Sorry, honey. All those achievements sound fine, but we both know the kind of lightweight courses you have chosen. A moron could get a few high GPA's off those.You're a lightweight just like the things you study. You have no impact on society except for the destructive lies you perpetuate that feeds your racist mentality.Go find a gym and do something constructive, sow.

The Duke case may be over, but the tough questions about how Durham police investigators mishandled it are in full swing.

Some of those questions being asked now about DPD police conduct were raised by The Carolinian last August when it became clear that Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, who essentially directed the police investigation, didn�t have the evidence he initially claimed would prove Crystal Gail Mangum was raped and assaulted at a Duke lacrosse team party in March 2006.

There was evidence, however, of Durham police officials lying to the public; misrepresenting facts in court documents submitted for search warrants; and breaking their own rules and procedures in an effort to allegedly manufacture a case.

The department is expected to officially deny those claims next week.

Last month, the state Attorney General�s Office officially closed the case, saying that its reinvestigation revealed that the crimes never happened, and the three accused players � Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans - are �innocent.�

That damning finding flies in the face of what Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers said last August when he was asked if he had confidence in the work of his detectives in the Duke matter.�Oh certainly,� Chief Chalmers told NBC-17 News �At Issue� then. �They�ve had my full support from the start. They�ve had the full support of the city manager.�

�As I�ve indicated, we�ll have our day in court, and I think this is when we really need to step forth and basically reveal our investigation of what has taken place.�

Chalmers� �day in court� was supposed to have been this week, in the form of a fully documented review and defense of the DPD�s Duke investigation.

But now, it will reportedly be Monday when the chief, at the direction of Durham City Manager Patrick Baker, issues his report.That review is in response to sharp criticism leveled at the DPD by NC State Attorney General Roy Cooper�s 21-page final case report, which was issued last week. The AG�s Office took over the case in January when DA Nifong, accused of ethics violations by the NC State Bar, recused himself from it.

During its 12-week reinvestigation, special prosecutors not only went over how Durham police investigators Benjamin Himan and Sgt.Of particular concern, three police photo identification lineups of only Duke lacrosse players that, according to Cooper, �identified� three defendants �through questionable photographic procedures.�

The lineup violated Durham Police Dept. procedures by not having �filler� photos of nonsuspects included, and having the lineup conducted by an investigator assigned to the case, instead of an officer who was not connected at all.

The change in procedure was directed by DA Nifong, and reportedly approved by DPD investigative supervisors.

City Manager Baker has responded that the photo lineup controversy, saying that the lineup wasn�t a �lineup� at all, but rather an effort by police to help the accuser, Ms. Mangum, properly identify possible witnesses to her alleged assault.

In his report, AG Cooper said the defendant identifications from the DPD photo lineup procedure was �of questionable validity,� especially since Ms. Mangum could not positively pick out her alleged assailants without help from investigators, an aspect which would normally disqualify any identifications made.

Legal observers, like Duke University Law Professor James Coleman, say without filler photo of non-suspects, all Ms. Magnum had to do was pick three lacrosse players, and as long as they were at the party the night she alleged being attacked, they could be charged.

Evidence shows that at one point, Mangum did pick a player who wasn�t at the party that night.

The question remains, why would the Durham Police Dept. aid and abet the Durham District Attorney in essentially trumping up a case against three �innocent� white men?

Duke Law Professor James Coleman told NBC-17 News �At Issue� last January that at the very beginning, the Duke University police had reported to the Duke Administration that despite the rape charge from the accuser, Durham police �knew this alleged victim� and didn�t find it credible and thought that it would just go away.

�Then the DA personally got involved in the investigation,� Coleman said. �Normally when that�s done, it�s to make sure that everything is done properly. I think it had just the opposite effect here, and it put a lot of pressure on the police to come up with evidence that was consistent with [Nifong�s] public statements.�

In his report to the city manager next week, Chief Chalmers may address that, and other issues, including the appropriateness, or lack thereof, of DA Nifong taking over the Duke investigation at an early stage.As first reported last August, an analysis by The Carolinian and Wilmington Journal newspapers show that what the police were telling the public, either through direct statements or public documents, at times did not match what they actually knew, or didn�t know, behind the scenes.On March 24, 2006 the Durham Herald-Sun reported Durham Police spokesman Cpl. David Addison as saying investigators had ��really, really strong physical evidence� from the crime scene (610 N. Buchanan Blvd where the party was held and the bathroom the alleged victim said the rape and beaten took place in) that police will be able to compare with DNA results.�

Forty-six of the 47-member lacrosse team, under legal counsel and court order, had submitted to taking photographs and supplying DNA swabbings to authorities.

But weeks later in April, those DNA test results from the state crime lab and a private lab in Burlington failed to yield the �strong evidence� connection to the alleged victim both the police, and D.A. Nifong had promised the public they would.

Cpl. Addison also told the Herald-Sun on March 24 that ��police approached the lacrosse team with the five-page search warrant on March 16 (two days after the alleged rape), but that all of the members refused to cooperate with the investigation.�

In fact, three lacrosse players � the three team captains who lived at the address where the party was held, did speak with police when they came armed with a search warrant, and let them in.

It was the rest of the team that, under attorneys� advice, remained silent.

It wouldn�t be until March 28, the day that the Duke lacrosse team�s season was suspended, that the Durham Police Dept. would reverse itself�sort of.

According to [Durham PD spokesperson Kammie] Michael, police interviewed three men the same day authorities obtained a search warrant for 610 N. Buchanan Blvd,� the Durham Herald-Sun reported on March 29.

�Although Michael said she didn't know the identity of the men, the application for the order to obtain DNA samples makes reference to the three residents of 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. The residents told police that every person who attended the party was a Duke lacrosse player. According to the three residents, all but five of the players tested for DNA were at the party,� the Herald-Sun reported then.

Ms. Michael may not have known who the �three men� were, but clearly investigators knew when they served the warrants at the address that they were talking with three Duke lacrosse team captains.

Why police allowed the public perception to persist that none of the lacrosse players were cooperating, when in fact, three already had, is a question that has remained unanswered, and just one of the investigative conflicts that called the state�s case into question.

On March 28, 2006 D.A. Nifong was in full swing in his public campaign to assure the Durham community not only that the case is open and shut, but in good hands.His.''The thing that most of us found so abhorrent, and the reason I decided to take it over myself, was the combination gang-like rape activity accompanied by the racial slurs and general racial hostility,'' Nifong told the NY Times in a telephone interview.

''There are three people who went into the bathroom with the young lady, and whether the other people there knew what was going on at the time, they do now and have not come forward. I'm disappointed that no one has been enough of a man to come forward. And if they would have spoken up at the time, this may never have happened.''

Nifong saved some of his fire for the local media too.

''In this case, where you have the act of rape - - essentially a gang rape - - is bad enough in and of itself, but when it's made with racial with racial epithets against the victim, I mean, it's just absolutely unconscionable,''

Nifong told WTVD-11 News on March 27. ''The contempt that was shown for the victim, based on her race was totally abhorrent. It adds another layer of reprehensibleness, to a crime that already reprehensible.''

Nifong even promised to file hate crime charges against those involved, in addition to charging players for stonewalling.

''My guess is that some of this stonewall of silence that we have seen may tend to crumble once charges start to come out,'' Nifong said.

Problem was, according to discovery evidence, the alleged victim had already given police several versions of what she says happened to her at that party, not only at the hands of some of the players, but even the second dancer, Kim Roberts Pittman.

Several police officers early on cast doubt on Ms. Mangum�s multiple versions, but DA Nifong�s directive to investigations when he took over the case was to find evidence that proved at least one of those versions to be correct.

Instead, the more Durham investigators looked into her history and activities, the more they found evidence that perhaps no crime had taken place at all. The problem was the district attorney didn�t want to hear it.

Because he was directing the police in this effort, Mangum was never confronted by authorities with the obvious contradictions in her story.

It is also on March 28 that Durhampolice released the now infamous tape of Kim Roberts, the second dancer at the party who as of this date, still had not been publicly identified, calling 911, telling the dispatcher that ��right outside of 610 Buchanan [Blvd]�I saw them all come out of, like, a big frat house, and me and my black girlfriend are walking by, and they called us ''niggers.''

�Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael did not answer questions about the time between the woman's call and the call reporting the alleged rape, which came from a security guard at the Kroger on Hillsborough Road,� the Durham Herald-Sun reported on March 29.

�Michael said the alleged rape victim was not the same woman who called about the racial slur. But Michael did not respond to a question asking whether the woman who called about the racial slur was the woman who accompanied the alleged rape victim to the party,� the paper reported.

In fact, Durham police knew who the woman, Kim Roberts, was then because they had already interviewed her several days earlier. That�s when Roberts not only denied any knowledge of a rape while she was at the party, but also called the alleged victim�s claim �a crock.�

In a probable cause affidavit dated March 27 from Det. Himan, he writes that the alleged victim, after being examined at the Duke Medical Center Emergency Room on the morning of March 14, exhibited clear evidence of being sexually assaulted.

�Medical records and interviews that were obtained by a subpoena revealed the victim had signs, symptoms and injuries consistent with being raped and sexually assaulted vaginally and anally,� Himan wrote.

According to the Durham Herald-Sun report on March 29, ��the Police Department's application for the [search warrant], medical records gave credence to the victim's allegations.�

But after D.A. Mike Nifong turned over several hundred pages of discovery evidence to defense attorneys on May 18 as required by law, they immediately determined in a June 15 motion that Himan did not obtain �medical records and interviews� until April 5, and no medical personnel were legally allowed to release details to him prior because of the federal Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Defense attorneys say the discovery documents show Nifong didn�t issue a subpoena for the material records until March 20; it wasn�t served until March 21; they weren�t printed, dated and stamped for compliance until March 30; and Det. Himan didn�t pick them up from the hospital until April 5.

Defense attorneys add that contrary to Himan�s March 27 affidavit, none of the medical records obtained confirm the alleged victim�s condition as the investigator described.

Neither the Durham Police Dept. nor D.A. Nifong has explained the defense�s allegation against Det. Himan, who, after four years on the force, became an investigator in January 2006 � two months before he was assigned the Duke assault case.

"Hello, Serena. It has to be you, because the data you've unearthed are a bit "specific.""

Actually it is NOT Serena who posted that item - it was me - a supporter who's known her a long time and respects her, but got sucked into this ridiculous blog in a moment of curiosity, poor judgment and boredom (happening again, obviously). Posting this will be the last moment I spend in this wasteland, but I just wanted to let the oh so clever guy who thought it was Serena writing know that he hit a foul ball on that one.

Mr Dk writes his wife will be criticizing one why not both?) Nurses Peggy Perfect? I hope this not include perrsonal attacks. Although, Nurses PP had no restraint in personl critizm of Nurse Levicy. I want folk who disagree about TL to be better than that. Read an essai from Nurse Katherine on the Forensic thread = recommend everyone read it. Certainly not to my surprise, the SANE gig is so critical that it a part time on call job. Pts are left in the ED until the SAME arrives - up to many hours. All that critizim DUKE Hospital took for not treating Crystal immediately was unwarrented. Why was this not published on LS or DIW for a broader audience?

Sure. We believe you now. You're just another anonymous commenteer who just happened to show up on a thread about your friend Serena.LOL, did all those women's studies turn your brain to cottage cheese? Take care, Serena. You sure need some care.

Let's see...a film technique Andy Warhol help develop (see "Chelsea Girls") was the split screen. On the left side we could have this solemn, stupid video of the bad poetry and worse modern dancer; on the right we could have Crystal Mangum doing a split on the booty pole a week after the alleged rape.

12:43Your friend Serena is a proven slanderous and destructive dog who would wish that innocent men be imprisoned for decades.Don't come here insulting us with your bile. You women are sick to the core!

Serena is qualified only to become a member of the next G88, should she be lucky enough to find some University that is willing to hire seriously tainted goods. They won't be able to claim that they didn't know what they were getting.

I went to the Ubuntu site and did a considerable amount of reading.

My favorite part was where it acknowledges that most rapes of Black "wymyn" are by Black men -- but victims don't want to turn them in to a corrupt justice system. Far better to corrupt the justice system by making false claims against white men and then shrieking in an effort to ram charges through!

"The video you are viewing is not of my friend Serena but of me a rape survivor and my daugher a survivor of sexual assault celebrating our personal strength and survival. The poem being shared was written by the late, well respected highly esteemed poet Audre Lorde (I'm sure many of you so called scholars know who she is). As you all continue to spew your racist hateful remarks please try to get all your facts straight. Maybe you should take some time to read through the Ubuntu and other blogs attached to that site and see how lovers of humanity behave. I too clicked on this site in support of my brilliant sister Serena and will not click on it again. I do not have time to look up information on you as I am running running a literacy program, providing for needy families and raising revolution in the communities you all conviently dismiss. You have no reason to continue to assault me and my daughter via the internet again."

Perhaps if you dropped the professional vicim and woe is me bit we might be a little more supportinve. What you fail to realize is that any sane person is against rape.

It is organizations like UBUNTU who deny the truth and cling to the fantasy that Crystal Mangum was raped and is anything but a lying prostitute who damage real victims.

Oh, and perhaps you should learn to write yourself before "running running" a literacy program.

It's only fitting that Crystal Mangum was rubbing her rear end on a pole as you and your ilk were busy holding a vigil for her.

Get it straight, we're all against rape and violence, the difference between us and you is that we prefer real victims as opposed to the made up ones UBUNTU and Ms. Sebring sponsor.

"Maybe you should take some time to read through the Ubuntu and other blogs attached to that site and see how lovers of humanity behave."

As a survivor you of all people should know the power of the truth. Lovers of humanity call a liar a liar and a false accuser a false accuser. They acknowledge victims of false accusation and apologize to them.

Lovers of humanity do not support lies and accommodate false allegations of rape.

As long as the UBUNTU website contains reference to a sexual assault that the legal community, Attorney General, and all evidence confirms did not happen, the members of the group must be acknowledged as what they are....liars.

It's almost comical that someone would log actually try to defend the UBUNTU website when it contains items like this:

"On April 28th, one such event will take place in Durham, North Carolina. It is the “National Day of Truth-Telling” to speak out against sexual violence but also to address its root causes. It has been the hotbed of confusion, resentment and anger since the rape occurred at a Duke Lacrosse team party. An organized effort emerged to untangle the web and educate the community towards a place of healing and empowerment."

It has been legally proven that there was no rape and the UBUNTU website continues to tout this rape that never happened.

Tell me again why this website and these people should be taken seriously. These people spit in the face of real rape victims everywhere.

Lets see now. Crystal claims a rape took place. There is DNA from 4 or 6 or 12 people. She claims to have only had consentual sex w/ her boyfriend. Why isn't UBUNTO demanding the police go after these people/rapists/clients?

KC, I wrote to you a couple of days ago simply requesting that you correct some misinformation that you had put out about me, given your reputation for truth-seeking I am surprised that you saw that as occasion for a full character assassination. In all of what I have said, I never once called for the criminal prosecution (or persecution) of the three players who have now been exonerated – or anyone for that matter.

It seems there is one thing on which your readers and I can fully agree: I am no one special.

I have no power in any of the institutions that mattered in this case: the criminal justice system does not wait on my opinion for marching orders, there is little likelihood that the Duke University administration would listen to my take on the matter over the voices of alumni and board members, and the media has used my comments only insofar as they have fit neatly into pre-made storylines.

Really why the focus on me? Even your commenters have noted the considerable intellectual and academic advantage you bring to any comparison or contest between the two of us. Is there really nothing more substantial with which you can continue to inflame your readership than the public record of commentary by a second-year graduate student? A 'sociologist' at that. And given the fact that my existence as a black woman in a graduate program at Duke surely begs the question of affirmative action policies and the veracity of the racial disadvantage described in the bell-curve, why bother? And, I'm 'chunky'.

Why would 'the Great Unraveler' even take the time to google me? Can your authority really be so tenuous that even the words of a fat, black, female, affirmative-action receiving, wrong-side-of-the-bell-curve-falling, silly-poetry-and-dancing group member be this threatening? Do you need me to say "innocent" before your work will be done? Why? Can your case narrative, so meticulously pieced together and highly praised, tolerate no dissent?

If nothing else, this forum has put on clear display the brutal realities of racism and misogyny that have flourished within the discourse surrounding this case. Clearly, these ugly undercurrents are not figments of the "angry studies" imaginary. Want proof?

- Yet another noted "the built-in resistance to a basic K-12 education evident in many African American communities" (comment still stands – this is curious in response to the critique of a graduate student's comments - obviously, I'm not too resistant to basic K-12 education)

My suggestion that students ask lacrosse players 'who did this', as well as all of my statements during the "10-day period in late March and early April 2006", were offered in the intense spotlight of the first few days after the allegations became public. My suggestion to "ask them" was given at the height of public outcry about a "wall of silence" and in relation to a sense that the rest of us Duke students were powerless in the face of a need to evaluate whether we were safe on campus or not - were we walking around with a gang of violent rapists or not? Wouldn't you want to know?

At that time, we did not know - even if you think that answer is clear in retrospect, I can tell you that you would have been hard pressed to find many people on campus who would have felt such certainty in the days just after the story broke. And with all due respect no one writing from the sheltered observatory of an office in Albany can appreciate what that environment was like - whatever your opinion of the case itself, it is a fact that for weeks after the initial report was made public, attending school at Duke was like being at the eye of a storm for everyone involved.

My suggestion at that time, was intended as a challenge to the very notion of a wall of silence (not asserting that one existed or condemning the reported silence of the lacrosse team) - my point was that these people who are being accused are just like us, they are students and we can ask them. It was an attempt to challenge the intimidation of that moment for us (particularly women) as students, not an attempt to intimidate anyone, and certainly not a condemnation or assumption of guilt. I wasn't saying, "if you see them tell them we don't need rapists on this campus", I wasn't saying, "if you see them throw rocks".

I was saying "ask them who did this", "this" being a sexual assault that was being reported as a fact with the identity of the perpetrators being what was in question. My statement was based on the police report of Durham PD Cpl. Addison who said that there was "strong evidence" that a sexual assault had occurred - which is also the foundation of the quote you referenced from the Nancy Grace show.

As a policy I believe the reports of those who say they have survived sexual assault (since only 2-4% of reports of sexual assault are based on false accusations, this seems to me not only a reasonable stand on principle, but also a statistically defensible position). Like most people, I also typically believe the police as both authorities and experts when it comes to criminal matters (obviously there are exceptions to their accuracy or dependability, but as a general rule I believe the police are interested in truth and serve to protect the public). And, while my faith has certainly been shaken in recent months, at that time I certainly took what was printed in newspaper reports as having some basis in fact. Therefore, when I appeared on the Nancy Grace show, what I said was informed by what the official representative of the Durham PD was quoted as saying in the local newspaper and it coincided with what had been reported by the survivor in this case.

My comments reflected not a rush to judgment, but rather an assumption that I could believe people who are supposed to tell me the truth - i.e. the newspaper and the police. If you want to fault me for that, okay. But if the alternative is to believe no one ever, I'm not even sure how you navigate your day.

To the commenters:Beyond the ugly bigotry, can you really not see the even the ridiculousness of your own hypocrisy? Here's a glimpse:

1.You use atrocious grammar and creative spelling to anonymously comment on my academic writing (which from what I can tell, you have never read).

2. You disparage my physical appearance (relevant to this topic why?) as you comment without even so much identification as a screen name.

3. You call me an affirmative action case (shhh, the Supreme Court declared affirmative action in admissions illegal in 2003 - that's not how I got in) on the blog of a professor who won tenure by lawsuit.

4. You demand that I owe you (who are you again?) some justification of my admission to Duke - in particular my GRE scores.

The truth is, I was both surprised and hurt by the ugliness and hate spoken here. I am a real person, not some character in a big sinister plot. Disagreements with my opinions are one thing, what has happened here is quite another. In all of what I have said I never once called for the criminal prosecution (or persecution) of the three players who have now been exonerated – or anyone for that matter. I did not post a few days ago with the intention of starting some comment-battle with you KC, I only asked that you correct some misinformation about me. The sad poverty of your character (and the garden-variety hate which it inspires) is plainly revealed through your decision to host an online stoning instead.

I will pass over the ways in which your conduct over the past fourteen months has fallen far short of the bowdlerized version you present in your 2:53pm comment. Enough of these shortcomings are evident in the Google-accessible writings that you have authored and edited.

I will join with you to the extent of condemning the racist, sexist, and obscene comments that some people have left in this thread.

Alas, I do not think that you can take much comfort from my support. My own conclusions are that you are an intelligent, studious, academically-capable, accomplished young person. (Good-looking, too, from the snapshot I saw.)

All the more reason to cultivate a sense of noblesse oblige rather than one of grievance. For instance, you--and your Activist friends--might have acknowleged the harm you have done to innocent people, who you happen to dislike.

You did not.

But irrespective of that, you do not deserve the hateful, obscene, sexist, and racist brickbats that have been thrown your way. No one does.

You may take a certain measure of cold comfort in realizing that the authors of these diatribes hurt "our" cause of civility and equal opportunity, and aid your apparent quest for a social structure polarized by race and gender, and based on the allocation of rights according to favored group status.

It would be a good thing if one or more of your attackers was to read this exchange and be man enough / woman enough to recognize that attack-dog methods are wrong, no matter what the cause.

I hope, but don't expect, that they will find a use for 'the simple words with magic in them' that Dr. Suess wrote about.

(Ms. Sebring, you would benefit from the same lesson. But that is a topic for another day.)

Boo hoo hoo, Sebring, some people called you bad names. Don't even try to compare that to the threat of going to prison for years because of false accusations. Everybody cares about REAL misogyny, racism, etc., but that's nothing to do with you or Sam Hummel or Manju or Proffitt or Ubuntu who have been exposed for the vicious creatures you are, and only the lawsuits (hopefully) will be your just rewards.

Some of us were victimized,too: raped or beaten, molestedand unbelieved; some of ushave stood up to oppressionagainst organizations whichdiscriminated against your(AA) community, and at greatpersonal cost.

As the author of one of thosedenigrating posts - choosingphysical description as a target -I can't help but feel a littleashamed.

And then I see on the UBUNTUblog that there is still thatsorry statement about a rapeand Duke Lacrosse players, andit makes me afraid...afraidthat I'll laugh out loud at you, if only for your lack ofwillingness to take down theridiculous assertion/chargeof "rape."

When or if you do remove thatoffensive description, pleaseaccept my apologies for thecomment about "transphobia."Until then, try learning thedifference between "truthtelling"and telling the truth.

Why are some of you even trying to talk reasonably to this Sebring person? If Ubuntu's site really does still state that a rape happened at the lacrosse house, then all of Ubuntu are evil jokes. Morally-speaking, sebring and hummel and ma barker hummel and the rest should all be tossed into prison themselves.

I think Sebring and Hummel SHOULD be sent to Darfur or anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. (Not "back to" Africa. I don't think either of them are from Africa). But it's solely for their benefit. If they want to make the sexual abuse of women-of-color their cause, shouldn't they go to tackle it where there is the most of it? I think that's pretty good logic.

For those of you who continue to accuse Ubuntu of calling for the prosecution (persecution) of these young men please do your research. "The judicial system is an unlikely source for justice part III. What justice can the court do here? If imprisoned, these men are at a greater risk of violence at the hands of guards and/or other prisoners than that of women on the outside. For those of us who want sexual violence to end, this is not the answer. Prisons are not around to keep crime from happening, nor “reform” those who have committed it. They are another way for us to legitimize violence and pretend that our problems are solved, when they have merely been relocated." If you want to know where this quote is from I invite you back to the Ubuntu blog. We'd love for you to gain a more accurate understanding of who we are. I promise with a little surfing you will find the essay in it's entirety.Survivors (let me repeat the word SURVIVORS) know that accountability will never come by means of a judicial system set up to protect those who created it. Survivors also do not depend on this flawed judicial system to determine whether they have been violated or not. For this reason we take survivor at their word and we support them.The day of tuthtelling was an opportunity for all survivors to speak what is true for them, without dehumanizing questions or the need for outside validation. Our voice that day was unified and strong. We said no to all forms of sexual violence, despite attempts by many of you to silence and dismiss us by reducing it to a Duke Lacrosse rape case vigil. Maybe you should read the wonderful N and O article writen about it (also on the Ubuntu site)Why did we stop in front of the house? Because for those of us who live in Durham everything about it (no matter where your loyalties lie)represents the pains of the last year. Black women, many of whom, chose not to speak out in any way survived random verbal assaults for months. Threats at work of being beaten like a Durham stripper or having eggs thrown out of windows as they walked accross campus. So yes a duke grad student (not Serena) spoke her desires for healing in front of that house never once speaking the names of the players or the survivor. It is unforunate that none of you were there to experience the strength and beauty that is born when a community of people focus their energies on healing wounds exposed this year. And it is even more unfortunate that we, in choosing not to subject ourselves to anymore of youe hate, will not publish other videos from that beautiful day. We have recieved many emails of thanks from survivors around the world who have drawn strength from our work. Our words are not shared as a toy to volley for who is craftiest or more venemous. Though some of you find sport in this you should take note that Ubuntu is a Survivor led coalition. Sexual assault has affected our lives. We do not have the luxury of speaking on behalf three boys we do not know from the comfort of our living room couches. We speak from our own experiences.Folks within Ubuntu are open to and welcome dialog. We appreciate differing opinions recognizing that the ability to think for ourselves makes us human. Those of you who are so arrogantly attempt to determine our worthiness through some spellcheck analysis, should try out for your local spelling Bee, where correct spelling makes you powerful.

No, you "do not have the luxuryof speaking on behalf three boyswe do not know from the comfortof our living room couches."

But you apparently have theluxury of being Judge and Jury,as you have - (from the comfortof your seat at MacDonaldsor at some buffet) - declaredthe boys - (whom you admit thatyou do not know) - guilty ofrape. That much is on your blog - (minus the added parenthesis) - and your whine rings untrue, like a defectivephone. Potbanging anddoing the Hokey Pokeymay be beautiful to you - (to each his/her own) -but one question, please?

Your brethren's sign,calling for the castration of three innocent boys?Is that beautiful? To you?

What these UBUNTU women cannot seem to get at is that they would have 10X the amount of support they do now (who isn't against rape?) if they didn't cling to this false rape. Yes, UBUNTU ladies beleiev it or not the readers of this site are against rape. Yes, we're against the rape of strippers and prostitutes.

The difference is we call liars to the carpet.

While the UBUNTU website has out and out lies on it, respectable clear thinking people call you what you are, liars.

After reviewing their website as it stands now, here is the list of people who can feel free to publcily support UBUNTU:black current or former sex workers who think Crystal Mangum was raped by the Duke lacrosse team.

I'll give you a minute to try and figure out why your membership hasn't exactly spiked.

For those of you who continue to accuse Ubuntu of calling for the prosecution (persecution) of these young men please do your research.

Nice try....The UBUNTU website says clearly in several places that members of the Duke lacrosse team raped a black stripper at a party on March 13, 2006.

Please tell me how that fact is defensible and goes along with your claims of not calling for them to be prosecuted. Are you saying you think they raped her and shouldn't be punished?

Your argument about the UBUNTU website being anything but a pack of lies doesn't hold water. As long as it refers to this rape that everyone knows and has been publicly proven did not happen, UBUNTU cannot be taken seriously and can only be described as a pack of liars.

I applaud your post and your calls for civility. But at this point you are sounding more and more like professors who avoid the tough questions with long winded vague answers that don't cut to the quick and tell us whether you are honest or not. Claiming you were duped and just blindly believed the police at this point may be too little too late.

Here are a few questions/comments you didn't address:

-Have you ever actually apologized to your fellow students for publicly calling them rapists? Yes or no? If not why not and will you now?

- How can you remain a supportive member of UBUNTU while the first sentence on one page from their website says the following:"UBUNTU was born in the aftermath of the March 13, 2006 rape of a Durham, North Carolina black woman by members of the Duke University lacrosse team."

Do you believe this woman was raped and if not will you demand UBUNTU tells the truth (and removes all references of this non-rape) on their website?

Say what you want (and again I am being very civil and applaud your civility) but at this point we need to know if you are truthful and willing to stand up for the truth.

As long as you support a website and organization that publicly states that the Duke lacrosse team raped a stripper on March 13, 2006, you deserve whatever ridicule is heaped on you.

Stand up for honesty and I'll stand with you. Claim you were just a victim duped by the police and let others go on publicly claiming a rape took place, and I have no sympathy.

Serina Sebring is a member of UBUNTU. As she wrote her message and as I write mine she and her organization are on their website busy calling the Duke lacrosse team rapists.

She asks for people not to write unkind messages about her and yet she and her group should be free to write their lies. I don't think so.

Until she makes a public call to have the vicious lies removed from the website of the organization she belongs to and defends, perhaps we should refer to her as a pedophile and put up some websites with that in print.

Maybe that will lead me to feel some sympathy for her, but I doubt it.

I am unaware of of the castration signs you are talking about. If I have my timeline correct that vigil was held before Ubuntu was formed. Ubuntu as a coalition has never held any vigils or rallies and perticipated in the Day of Truthtelling as one of nine sponsoring organization. Folks within and outside of the coalition should have their own vews and opinions, but again no where on our site does the coalition advocate violence. Plese do not assume that every protestor in Durham is a member of Ubuntu or that every protest you've seen even if coalition member participated, was Ubuntu sponsored. We are not, as some of you have accused, a cult. That is completely laughable. As far as the question someone raised about "punishment" as a group we advocate for true accountability which cannot be determined by a faulty legal system. Ubuntu means "I am because we are" to castrate, violate or imprison you, is to castrate, violate and imprison me. I who can truly only speak for myself, am searching for better ways to hold and be held accountable. I acknowledge, and am not surprised, that the system failed misserably in this case. I would not have felt any better if those young men were behind bars. A women is raped every three minutes in this country. We cannot possible lock up every perpetrator. That is not a solution to anything. For my part I support the survivor in this case. My reasons are my own, are not up for debate, and do not need validaion from those who disagree with me. I am okay with my opinion being in the minority and I do not attempt to sway anyone which is why I rarely engage in conversations about the case. You have a right to your views as do I. What I want to stress is that my supporting a fellow survivor does not mean I advocate for the mistreatment of anyone else. I do pray however that EVERYONE who was there that night comes to some sort of resolution and begins to heal. It is for them and not us to determine what that looks like. I would like to thank those of you who believe in civil dialog for taking the time to read and reply to my posts. I read what you have said and understand where you are coming from. At this time I just don't agree. I can accept that and I hope you can too.For the record I am not Serena, nor am I any kind of official spokesperson for Ubuntu.

When are you idiotic people who piggyback off everything in society that might get you some attention going to comprehend that we all see you for what you are?Sebring and her fellow sows try to insinuate to this day that "something happened" at the Buchanan Blvd house. After using the lacrosse hoax in their hate speech, they lie about it like the chubby Idi Amin's that they are. You took this horrible hoax which has damaged the lives of three INNOCENT men forever, and proceeded to use it as a way to segue into all of your miserable lust for pity parties.Frankly, people like you and Serena Sebring are society's parasites. You live to cause problems for others as you try to suck life's blood out of every situation that might share an element of emotion with your "causes".If you don't laugh with amusement at the UBUNTU website, then you are not only part of the problem, but you are insane.Stop the sickening pretense of being a nice and normal person.Like Serena Sebring, you are waste material not yet flushed.

"...at that time I certainly took what was printed in newspaper reports as having some basis in fact."

That was your first mistake, why would you ever believe what you read in the MSM?

Your second mistake is that you didn't learn from your first mistake. UBUNTU continues to perpetuate Crystal Mangum's lie of rape. Why didn't you believe in the AG's report as quickly as you believed the MSM? Does it not fit your agenda?

You also note: "I was both surprised and hurt by the ugliness and hate spoken here. I am a real person, not some character in a big sinister plot."

Is that like the big judicial sinister plot your UBUNTU comrades hatefully speak about when they say "...accountability will never come by means of a judicial system set up to protect those who created it?"

Are we really to believe that law makers have created laws that allow them to cruise around town legally raping women?This is why we don't take you or UBUNTU seriously.

Your words may flow eloquently, but they flow eloquently into the trash can of life, the trash can of life...words...flow eloquently...into the trash can...into the trash can....into the trash can of life. (accompanied by interpretive dancing and sign language)

Nifong's hat trick--The best response I've read was from Debrah Correll the other day. Guess it was too intelligent and too much to the point for a troubled person like Serena Sebring.Just look at the ignorant rantings of Sebring and Grant Farred and you wonder what makes someone like KC tick.He erases and deletes fair comments in response to these nuts, while at the same time spends his days talking about all the many the problems they have created.I hope the sow Sebring was able to read Ms. Correll's post and others before they were erased.The liberal in KC often comes through, until he realizes that he'll only make his money when the hoax is revealed in his book.I kind of feel sorry for him because I know he hates to go against his fellow liberals, even though they are the cause of this hoax. It's time to speak the truth against destructive people like Sebring. After reading her post, I am disgusted even more.Thank you all who have had the courage to speak against a racist like Sebring!

KC is a hero of the hoax. I am convinced these guys would be in jail already had KC not entered the event. KC has no need to tout the book - its a run away best seller before printing. I disagree with KC on a few points. He only erased me once in a year. Thankfully, June is rapidly approaching and we can all turn our attention to roasting Nifong and not each other.

12:22KC has done a great job, but his over emphasis on certain themes is troubling.More empahsis should have been on the non-action of the Duke faculty who are not the 88. Now that everything is over, everyone is coming out of the woodwork in support. Duke's administration and the entire faculty should be held more accountable. They could have stopped this thing in its tracks if they had wanted.I also agree with others that as long as there are no libelous and racist comments, posts should not be erased. People like Serena Sebring deserve a taste of what they have done to others. Nothing is off base in retaliation when only presenting the facts.There were many, many people along with KC who are responsible for this case turning around. Let's keep a level head.

My view - No matter what, there was no stopping Nifong. Stopping Nifong in his tracks was just not happening. He did not need an encouragement either. This thing was rolling because of the primary and his apparent personal dislike of Duke,folk with money. Osborn and Joe Cheshire.

Any woman, of whatever race, who is concerned about rape and sexual assault, or is a survivor of such, can find other organizations to join or get involved in. They should stay away from Ubuntu: a gang of sociopaths.

Sebring is a lying bitch even after the fact.Her comments make me sick to my stomach. She tries to rewrite what she was very happy to do to innocent men before anything close to real evidence had emerged.She's a high yellow hag with massive hatred to go along with her counterfeit education.

YES!!! As long as there are people who publicly refuse to accept the truth on this issue, and whose last public comments were unfair, condemnatory, and wrong, KC has every reason to shine the spotlight on them. Because the more people deny the truth, the easier it will be for future activists to pretend that Duke students did something illegal that night. And they'll make as much hay as they can with that "rediscovered truth" years down the road. A sociologist should know how manufactured myths can influence how we look at the world.

And remember, there are still three live human beings who were targeted by your incorrect, inflammatory comments. So yes, I think they'd appreciate (or at least, they are owed) an admission from you that they were innocent, as well as an apology.

Your defense basically boils down to saying that you are unimportant and that you were serving a greater cause. Without even addressing the truth of either claim, those excuses do not justify your specific statements in this specific case, which harmed the reputation, and threatened the safety, of three individual human beings.

"My comments reflected not a rush to judgment, but rather an assumption that I could believe people who are supposed to tell me the truth - i.e. the newspaper and the police. If you want to fault me for that, okay. But if the alternative is to believe no one ever, I'm not even sure how you navigate your day."

It's called the presumption of innocence. When someone asks you about a criminal rape allegation, you don't just assume it happened. Certainly not before a jury verdict, and most especially not before a trial even starts! That patience wouldn't have gotten you on the news, but it's the procedure people follow in every other criminal case (with possibly the exception of the OJ Simpson case, though there was a civil finding against him...but I digress). Make judgments about the world all you want, but not about criminal matters where real people are facing indictments!

"You call me an affirmative action case (shhh, the Supreme Court declared affirmative action in admissions illegal in 2003 - that's not how I got in) on the blog of a professor who won tenure by lawsuit."

Um.....no it didn't. Duke's a private university, so it's always been free to practice affirmative action. The Court did strike down a numerical point-adding affirmative action scheme in a state law school, but I have no idea what that has to do with Sebring or her acceptance to Duke's (private) sociology department.

The commentators are unfair in making personal assumptions about Sebring's credentials. But her defenses don't exactly help her in that regard. Going after a respected, accomplished, and very busy professor like KC (even after admitting his intellectual and academic superiority) really takes the cake.

Sebring displays awfully lazy thinking. Duke lacrosse team accused of rape--cue paradigm of white male privilege! Brooklyn professor sues to get tenure--must be an undeserving whiner! But if you actually took the time to read ANYTHING about the details of either case, you'd see your knee-jerk reactions and biases were and still are completely wrong.

I also find UBUNTU's supporters' insistence that they didn't want a prosecution to be laughable. They didn't want a persecution not because they presumed innocence, but that even though the 3 Duke students were *clearly* guilty, incarceration wouldn't "reform" them or would treat them too harshly. That's just sad hair splitting. Still presuming guilt, and knowing full well that the more people thought the Duke 3 were guilty, the harder their lives would be.

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About Me

I am from Higgins Beach, in Scarborough, Maine, six miles south of Portland. After spending five years as track announcer at Scarborough Downs, I left to study fulltime in graduate school, where my advisor was Akira Iriye. I have a B.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard, and an M.A. from the University of Chicago. At Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, I teach classes in 20th century US political, constitutional, and diplomatic history; in 2007-8, I was Fulbright Distinguished Chair for the Humanities at Tel Aviv University.

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"From the Scottsboro Boys to Clarence Gideon, some of the most memorable legal narratives have been tales of the wrongly accused. Now “Until Proven Innocent,” a new book about the false allegations of rape against three Duke lacrosse players, can join these galvanizing cautionary tales . . , Taylor and Johnson have made a gripping contribution to the literature of the wrongly accused. They remind us of the importance of constitutional checks on prosecutorial abuse. And they emphasize the lesson that Duke callously advised its own students to ignore: if you’re unjustly suspected of any crime, immediately call the best lawyer you can afford."--Jeffrey Rosen, New York Times Book Review